Inde

Râga Bhairav

Genre :

Classical singing
Tradition :

Dhrupad, vocal tradition of North India
Piece name:

Râga Bhairav
Specifics:

This piece is a song of the Bhairav raga (mode), in the dhrupad genre. Dhrupad is the oldest genre of song in the classical musical tradition of North India. It is less practised today than khyal, the other genre of classical song, considered more entertaining.
Here, the singer is Ustad Rahimuddin Khan Dagar.
The recording comes from an anonymous source who made it in the 1950s or 1960s on the radio.
At the time, AIR (All India Radio) organized broadcasts, that is to say they had artists sing live, and the very many music lovers of the time recorded on cassette or tapes what they heard. It has therefore never been released on CD, and is known only to a few fans in India. Many tapes like these have been digitized and put online on Youtube and other platforms.
The pakhawaj (double-headed drum) percussion player, who enters after the alap, at the time of composition, is perhaps S.V. Patwardhan.

Râga Bhairav

General presentation

The Dhrupad Modal System

The Bhairav mode (raga)

The modal scale of Bhairav, its color and its specific system of resonance.

The gestural system associated with the chant of the modal range, which is also a technique for controlling the resonance of the voice.

Each note is evolutionary in the length of its singing, it has its internal space of movement.

The Bhairav mode

Singing

Simple singing exercises allow training in the control of the pitches, resonance, directions and movements within each note in Bhairav.

Vocal work and ornamentation

The more elaborate exercises are designed differently each time and allow a more developed vocal work of the dhrupad grammar, including an ornamentation work:

Exercise 1 :

Exercise 2 :

By adding ornaments to work the resonance changes according to a linear progression, forming a mental image accompanied by gestures.

Changes in resonance

Exercises focused on resonance changes are essential for correct microtone singing and expression of râga's particular sensitivity (Bhairav is associated with sunrise):

Terminology

There is a specific terminology for the colours given to notes according to the resonances and ornaments produced by the singer – these names are used for exercises.

Performance

During a performance, it is syllables (meaningless) that are used, which give more freedom to the singer. Each note, both in its internal evolution and association with other notes, becomes a musical phrase. The silences also participate in the melodic elaboration.

The alap

The alap is the improvised and unmeasured opening section.

Alap construction

Alap construction as a word.
Explanations and sung examples :

First part

The narrative sequences in the first part of the alap:

2nd part

Second part of the alap, with a faster tempo and other ornamental forms:

The composition

After the alap : the composition.

Tâla

Rhythmic specificities – tâla ("rhythm cycle"): internal structure, specific marks (emphasis points), evolution in the singing, odd subdivisions:

Dhamar tâla

The tâla Dhamar (14 beats): musical, emotional and religious specificities (it is most often dedicated to Krishna) and social (it can also be addressed to some Chishtis Sufi saints):

An analysis of the tâla

Chant of tâla Dhamar in Bhairav raga, with explanation of the poem and rhythmic points of support:

The structure of a dhrupad song

Composition and ancient texts

Number of parts of a dhrupad song and comparison with descriptions in ancient writings.

How to express the emotional qualities of Bhairav in relation with the poetic sense of composition?

Here is the difficulty.

Singing

How to sing this composition while respecting the mode, resonances, rhythm cycle, ornamentation, text and sentiment of the composition, and color of the râga: